Uncoupling mechanism for car-couplings.



E. H. SCHMIDT.

-UNCOUPLING MECHANISM FOR CAR COUPLINGS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2, I913.

Patented Feb.8, 1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERNEST H. SCHMIDT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION.

UNCOUPLING MECHANISM FOR CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

Application filed Deceniber 2, 1913. Serial No. 864,150,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST H. SCHMIDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Uncoupling Mechanism for Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a plan of the forward end of a platform of a car, showing in dotted lines a car coupler and the application thereto of my improved uncoupling mechanism; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof.

My invention relates to uncoupling mechanism for car couplers, and is especially applicable to top-operated couplers, and provides means by which the coupler may be operated by a rearward pull instead of by a vertical lifting movement.

My invention also consists in the construction and operation of the parts Whiclr'I shall hereinafter describe and claim.

leferring to the drawings, the numeral 2 shows the platform of a car and 3 an automatic coupler having a link 4 forming part of the connection for operating the lock from the top of the coupler. An actuating member 5 of substantially U-shape is journaled by its lower arm 6 through the sides of the coupler shank 7, and its upper arm 8 extends upwardly and forwardly, entering the eye of the link 4: and terminating in a rearwardly-turned end 9. The ac-tuat ing member 5 is preferably held in its journals in the shank 7 by means of a cotter pin 10. The uncoupling rod 11 has at its inner end an eye 12, which takes about the upward extension of the actuating member 5, and at its outer end the usual downwardly-tinned handle 13. The uncoupling rod 11 is secured to the car by any suitable bracket 14.

To operate the uncoupling mechanism a forward pull is given to the depending handle 13. This pull rotates the uncoupling rod 11 about its aXis and the eye 12 grips the U-shaped actuating member, revolving it about its lower arm (3 journaled in the coupler shank 7, and the upper arm 8 of the member 5 is rotated rearwardly and upwardly, pulling the link 4 upwardly and rearwardly, thereby unlocking the coupler.

If it is desired to shift the coupler .laterally to the extent permitted by its carry iron, a lateral or endwise pull can be applied to the uncoupling rod 11 to effect this shifting without requiring the operator to go between the rails, and this pull will shift the coupler to the desired position, without affecting the uncoupling mechanism. In Fig. 2 I have shown in dotted lines the extreme positions which the handle 13 will occupy when the coupler has been shifted as described.

Various changes may be made in the mechanism which I have shown and described herein, without departing from my invention.

I claim:

1. In uncoupling mechanism for cars, the combination with a coupler of the top-operated type having a lock-lifting link, of an actuating member having a plurality of parallel arms, one of said arms being pivoted to the coupler shank adjacent its juncture with the coupler-head and forward of the carry iron, and the other of said arms engaging said lock-lifting link, the said actuatingmember having a connection between said arms extending, when the member is at rest, upwardly and forwardly, and an uncoupling rod engaging said connection and being adapted to rotate it a greater distance rearwardly than it is upwardly to effect uncoupling.

2. In uncoupling mechanism for cars, the combination with a coupler of the top-operated type having a lock-lifting link, of an actuating member of substantially U-shape having one arm extending forwardly and upwardly and engaging the lock-lifting link, every portion of the arm being at all times below the top of the link, and another arm journaled in the coupler shank forward of the carry iron at a point below the point of attachment of the first-mentioned arm to the lifting link, and an uncoupling rod engaging said actuating member and being adapted to rotate the first-mentioned arm 'upwardly and rearwardly to effect uncoupling.

ERNEST H. SCHMIDT.

Witnesses I CHESTER K. BROOKS,

HARRY E. ORR.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

